On The Dot: The Everlasting Legacy of the Polka Dot

We all know Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele has a penchant for what can only be described as maximalist flair (following his eight-year reign at Gucci), and his most recent collection - his second in total for the house - is no different. In between vibrant patterns of leaves, animals, and delicate lace, the S/S 25 show saw a glorious array of polka dots on the runway. Pouring down long dresses, hidden within veils, and embedded in intricately beaded garments, the inclusion of dots was a lavish way to signify Michele’s infusion into the sartorially glamorous Italian maison. Such a utilisation of the dotted motif undoubtedly felt new and exciting, despite the long and storied history of the polka dot. But how have we gotten here? And where did it all start?

Whether you’re thinking of pixels on a screen, or floating atoms, it’s fair to say dots have an integral role in shaping the world around us, with spots having infiltrated art and design - morphing in meaning and size - for thousands of years. The polka dot has also long been interlinked with the human form, in the form of poked tattoos, markings, and patterned textiles, pointing towards being seen as a metaphor for identity, a way for us to mark ourselves as individuals in a world prised on collectivity. Utilising spiritual geometry, religious practices including Islam and Buddhism are also familiar with the trusty dot, as proven by the abundance of printed dots in holy designs, the most famed example of all being the çintamani pattern, which features dots and wavy lines and was a signature print of the Ottoman empire. Looking at spots as a representation of a culture’s power isn't just unique to humans either, the animal kingdom also plays its part thanks to the well-documented conflicts between animals that wear dots vs stripes; the dotted leopard vs the tiger being just one example.

With the spread of dangerous illnesses that plagued European countries in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, the west saw a rejection of the design, associating it with negative connotations and quite simply, the devil. As a literary device, the black dot symbolised death for pirates in the novel Treasure Island, continuing on ideals of sickness and the all-consuming spots that were prevalent in the Middle Ages and beyond. Least to say, dots were not welcome and so where stripes marked an active societal dismissal, a sign of banned criminality, dotted designs were nonetheless an invasion of the wild.

The dot continued to make its mark on the face when it became a purposeful symbol in the royal courts of Europe during the 16th century. From covering up marks left from syphilis or other viral diseases, what we now know as ‘the beauty spot’ became an identifier of attraction and status. Here, the dots were controlled, not more than two or three on a face and so still presented a mark of dominance over nature. Alas, things took a slightly different turn some 200 years later with the widespread craze of the novelty Polka dance - a Czech Republic and Polish evolution take on classic waltz - that saw the name ‘polka dot’ being officially coined, with the dotted pattern named by manufacturers in association, an invasion of the spotted design could be seen on all industrialised products; and an invasion it was.

From machine-made textiles to the invention of the telegraph and morse code communication with dots and dashes, the polka dot was reclaimed as a symbol of the future. Becoming synonymous with modernity and control; both of which are essential tools for a society that wishes to prosper, the polka dot was for the new age. Beau Brummel, the father of modern masculinity in dress, also famously wore spotted waistcoats under his sleek, tailored uniform. I rest my case.

With the postmodern movement of art came a new wave of thought towards culture, a rejection of authority, playful attitudes towards colour and design, and individualism of expression. Artists and fashion designers took to the iconic dot, playing with textures, absence, and size to explore these new ideas. Yayoi Kusama and Andy Warhol are just some pop art icons who appropriated the polka dot to represent a symbol of repetition, meditation, and a commentary on the production of art and design in the 20th century, but they weren't the only ones. Morphing meaning entirely, the dot now represented creation in a capitalist world, but also uniformity, helped along by innovations in printing and technology. During this period, polka dots also became highly popular for wacky designs of the vibrant postmodern age, making up floral motifs and eye-catching prints that alternatively made anyone looking for a symbol of status stand out as a face in the crowd.

Since the post modern reign of fashion, time has seen a regression of polka dots for the last 30 years and so in line with the minimalism of the 1990s, polka dots have gone from a vibrant visual sign to a muted symbol of taste and chic simplicity. Avant-garde designer Rei Kawakubo is the exception to this rule. Frequently taking the polka dot as her sartorial signature, Kawakubo’s ethos of rebellion and changed femininity proves potent in her use of the dot. Marked by her unique approach to shaping forms, and use of new textural materials, the Japanese designer is a master in subverting fashion, that is for sure but what less people fail to realise is that the polka dot has long been in her arsenal of techniques, used to explore ideas of youth, individuality, and shape.

Drifting in and out of the zeitgeist, polka dots have always made their mark in fashion. Evolving in meaning, the polka dot returned to runways this season, with collections like Carolina Herrera’s S/S 25 Womenswear loud dots, Miu Miu’s rounded cutouts, and Saint Laurent’s subtle dotted take on 80’s power dressing for example. With a newfound expression of the dot, this time the motif takes on a new form, one of exciting revitalisation and reference to dots of the past (see Miu Miu’s 60’s inspired circular flashes of flesh, reminiscent of both the space age and the postmodern polka dot). Like Alesandro Michele bringing fresh dotted air into Valentino, or Kawakubo’s meditative practice of printed spots, the polka dot has reinvigorated fashion spheres, signalling the beginning of an evolution in style that continues to reinvent itself again and again.